Packing plate for internal-combustion engines or the like



Augs 5r J. O.4 ALMEN PACKING PLATE FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES 0RTHE LIKE Filed Auz. 10. 1920 v (J1/tu @MRW Jon/v Lmg/vf Patented Aug. 5,1924.

JOHN o. ALMEN, on SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AssIGNon To ALMEN-onOsIBY MOTORSCOMPANY, INC.

PACKING :PLATE FOR INTERNAL-COIVIBUSTION ENGINES R THE LIKE.

Application filed August 10,1920.

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it kno-w11 that I, JOHN O. ALMEN, a citizen of the United States, andresident of the city of Seattle, county of King, State of l/Vashington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing Plates forInternal-Combustion Engines or the. like, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in internal combustion engines,pressure pumps, or the like, and moreparticularly to expandable packingplates, and rings, forluse in engines of that character wherein aplurality of cylinders are arranged circularly about and in parallelrelation to a central power shaft, and wherein fuel charges are admittedinto and exhausted from the cyltating or sliding valve that is mountedto operate between the ends of the cylinders and the end walls of theengine casing, and which is rotatedV by connection with the power shaftto admit and exhaust full charges from the cylinder in proper sequenceto affect 4operation of the engine.

Heretofore, in engines of .this character, difficulty has beenexperienced because of the non-provision of'a desirable gas and airtight connectionpbetwe'en the rotating valve plates and the'cylinderends, and because of this difliculty, the efliciency of the engine isgreatly reduced. It is, therefore, the principal object of the presentinvention to provide a packing plate whereby a noneleaking lconnectionmay be made between the ends of the several cylinders and the rotatingvalve, withV a minimum amount of friction, and whichrprovides in itsconstruction means for retaining it in its proper relation to theseparts.

It is also an obj ect of the invention toprovide a packing' plate ofthis character wherein provision is made for utilizing the force Ofi-theexplosions in the variouscylinders to affect expansion of the plate atthe vital points and to prevent leakage of gas between the Vvalve plateand the cylinder casing at `the time of the explosion.

In accomplishing the objects of the in vent'ion I have provided theimproved details of construction, the preferred forms of `which areillustrated 'in the accompanying drawings, whereinf l Figure l is atransverse sectional view of Serial No. 402,566.

aportion of an engine, wherein a packing plate, constructed according tothe present invention, is utilized. v

Figure 2 is an inner face view of the preferred type of packing plate.

- Figure 3 is an enlargedtransverse sectional view o'f one-half thesame.

Figure 4C is a similar view of a plate of a modified or alternate typeof construct-ion.

Figure 5 is asectional view of an alternative construction of anexpandable character, not integral with the plate.

Figure 6 is a similar view of another alternative construction.Referring more in detail to the drawings-l designates a casing sectioncomprising a plurality of cylinders 2 wherein pisy tons 3 areoperatively mounted for reciproinders through passages provided in arocation. Extending longitudinally and centrally through the casing,parallel with its cylinders, is a power shaft 4C, which is supportedrevolubly by an 'anti-friction bearing 5.

The casing section 1 has an outer end wall 6 provided with ports 7 whichlead into the outer ends of the cylinders 2 and which are a-lined withopenings 8 in the end wall 9 of the engine casing, and said end walls 6and 9 are spaced apart for the interposition of a valve plate l0 whichis adapted to be revolved about the power shaft by any suit-- ablegearing connection with the same, as indicated at 11, to effect theintaking and exhausting of 'fuel charges from the several cylinders.

The valve plate 10 is of substantial thickness with parallel and smoothopposite faces, and contains a plurality of passages which are broughtby rotation of the plate into registration with the cylinder and casingopenings in proper sequence to effect operation of the engine.

Heretofore difficulty has arisen in providing a non-leaking connection`between the rotating valve plate and the end wall 6, and leakages aboutthe cylinder openings vhave been detrimental to successful operation ofthe engine. Other trouble has arisen from leakage O`f air from about thecrank shaft into the fuel distributing manifold. In the presentinvention Ioliave overcome these objectionablefeatures by theinterposition of a packing plate l5 between the cylinder end wall 6 andvthe rotating valve 10.

The preferred type of packing plates, as best shown in Figures 2 and 3,is ofa. circular form to fit within a circular pocket 16 comprising thefuel manifold, in the end wall 6, and is provided about its peripherywith notches 17 for the reception of lugs 18 about the periphery of thepocket, to hold it against rotation.

At the center of the plate 15 is an opening 2O through which the powershaft extends, and about this opening is a plurality of openings 21which register with the several cylinder ports 7. rIhe outer face of theplate is perfectly smooth to t the face of the rotating` valve, and isheld in an/air tight connection against the valve by means of ayieldable, annular flange 23, formed about the opening 20 and extendinginwardly to seat against the wall 6.

This flange has an accordion construction, that is, deep annularchannels 25 are cut therein alternately from inner and outer sides,overlapping each other, so that the flange will be yieldable in itsaxial direction and will hold the plate against the valve, without a.great amount of friction, and will effect an air tight connection thatwill prevent any possible leakage of air from about the crank shaft intothe valve chamber where it would mix with the fuel gases.

'Flanges 26, similar to the flange 23, and which assist the latter insupporting the plate against the valve, are formed about each of theopenings 21 in the plate to seat about the openings 7 of the cylinderwall; These latter flanges also have annular channels 25 cut thereinalternately from the inner and outer sides in overlapping relation, togive flexibility to the same and permit them to be expanded orcompressed in their axial direction.

Since the inner channels of the flanges 26 open into the passageswherein gases art confined under pressure when fuel charges are ignited,it is apparent that such pressure will effect the expansion of theflange sufllciently to tighten the plate against the valve in anon-leaking fit.

In Figure 4: I have illustrated a modified 'type of construction,wherein the extension flanges 26 have been eliminated and annularchannels 30 are formed in the plate within the openings, formingflexible ldiaphragms at opposite sides of the channel which will bemoved apart by a pressure of gas thereagainst t-o seal the connectionatthe time of the explosion.

With this latter construction, the cylinder wall 6 would be providedwith annular, extending flanges 32, which would seat against theperipheral edge of the lower diaphragm, as shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 5 I have shown an alternative construction, which consists ofa metal tube that may be formed with deep annular corrugations, whichwill provide a construction similar to the flanges 23 and 26 on theplate. However, this construction is not a part of the plate but may beused independently thereof or attached in a suitable manner to the plateor about the cylinder openings.

Figure 6 is another alternative construction, similar to that of Figure5, but consisting of a metal ring wherein the channels have been cut.VThis is, however, the same construction as the flanges23 and 26, but isindependent of the plate Vand in use would be interposed between theplate and cylinder wall. 1

Assuming that the plate is so constructed and assembled with the engine,between av revolving valve and casing end wall, as shown in Figure 1, itis apparent thatthe 'tendency of the flanges 23 and 26 to expand willnormally hold the plate in functional position and a non-leakingconnection, and that when an explosion takes place within any one of thecylinders, the expanding gases will enter within channels of the flangesto expand the same and effect a still tighter connection which willprevent any possible leakage between the cylinder ports and valve, whilethe flange 23 prevents leaklage of air into the fuel manifold.

What I claim as new, is: 1. In an engine ofthe class described,

the combination with a cylinder having a fuel exhaust port therein and avalveV plate operable to controlA the passageVV of gases through thecylinder opening, of a packing plate interposed between t e said valveplate and cylinder, having an opening therethrough in registration withthe'cylinder port, and means whereby said plate .will be expanded bypressure of'fuel charges exhausted through its opening. f

2. The combination with a cylinder casing wall having a portcommunicating with the pressure chamber of thecylinder and a valve plateoperable to control'the flow `of gases through said port, of a packingplate int-erposed between the wall and valve pla-te having an opening inregistration with `the wall port and havingan annular channel Vformedtherein within the opening wherein expanding gases from'the pressurechamber may enter to expand the plate in the direction of its thicknessabout the opening, for the purpose set forth. i Y

3. The combination with a cylinder casing wall having a portcommunicating with the pressure chamber of the cylinder and a valveplate operable to control the flow of gases through said port, of aVpacking plate interposedbetween the wall and valve plate havingan'opening in registration'with-the .wall port and having an annularflan e thereon for functionally supporting tle packing plate against thevalve g said flange having annular lchannels formed therein alternatelyin its inner and outer surfaces to give the flange flexibility in itsaxial direction, for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination with a cylinder casing wall having a portcommunicating with the pressure chaniber of Vthe cylinder, and a Y valveplate operable to control the flow of gases through said port, of apacking plate interposed between the wall and valve plate having anopening in registration with the wall port and having a supportingflange formed thereon about the opening at one side of `the plate; saidflange having annular channels formed therein in alternate relation oninner and outer sides thereof to give flexibility tothe flange in itsaxial direction with the inner channels opening into communication withthe cylinder port to receive expanding gases from the cylinder, for thepurpose set forth.

5. In an engine of the character described,

in combination, a casing body having a valve recess therein, cylindersarranged circularly and in parallel relation within the casing andhaving ports opening into the said recess, a. power shaft revoluble insaid casing centrally of said casing and parallel with said cylinders, avalve plate revoluble in the recess to control the flow of gas throughsaid ports, a packing plate interposed between the cylinders and valveplate having ports in registration with the cylinder ports and a centralopening through which said power shaft extends, expandable flangesformed about all of said ports engageable with the cylinder wall toprevent leakage and an expandable flange fornied about the peripherythereof for preventing leakage of air from about the power shaft intothe valve recess.

Signed at Seattle, Vashington, this 4th day of August, 1920.

J OHN O. ALMEN.

